Revenue Min Majithia appears before ED
Saturday, 27/12/2014
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I extended full cooperation despite short notice’ :: Jalandhar: Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Friday said that he had extended full cooperation to the central agency, despite the short notice given to him, as he was keen to join investigations and ensure that truth was laid bare before the people.
In a statement issued through the District Public Relations Department, Majithia said that he had acted in a pro-active manner ever since he received the central agency’s summons on December 19.
“I was engaged in a three-day assembly session and there was a three-day holiday also. I could have asked for and got an alternate date. However, I decided not only to receive the summons on phone but also present myself before the agency at the first opportunity itself,” he added.
“Earlier also five central agencies have investigated the matter during Congress led UPA rule and found nothing in it. Now, I want a closure to the ‘media trial’, I am being subjected to on a daily basis,” the Revenue Minister stated.DP
Jalandhar : Amidst high security, Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Friday appeared before Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the multi-crore international synthetic drugs racket. The ED officials had sent summons to Majithia to appear on December 26.
Majithia was questioned by the ED officials for over 4.30 hours. The Revenue Minister along with his lawyer reached ED office at around 10:22 am without any show of support from the Akali leaders and came out at around 2:55 pm.
However, SAD leader and Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh had reached ED office at around 10 am to meet Majithia. As the ED officials started questioning minister, Pargat came out of the ED office at around11.30 am.
Though tight security arrangements prevailed at ED office with the road from BMC chowk leading to the ED premises being heavily barricaded, the members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)-the student wing of BJP led by its National Executive- cum- District president Saurabh Kapoor and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) activists burnt the effigy of Majithia raising slogans seeking his resignation.
Even District Congress Committee (Urban) President Rajinder Beri along with a group of Congress workers also held a protest at BMC Chowk and burnt Majithia’s effigy. The police had stopped congress workers at BMC chowk to avoid their entry to ED office. Later, the police rounded-up congress and the ABVP activists.
The ED which comes under Union Ministry of Finance was headed by Special Director from Delhi Karnail Singh along with Assistant Director Niranjan Singh and Joint Director Girish Bali, who had prepared a 25-page questionnaire to investigate Majithia’s property details, connections with some NRIs involved in the Rs 6000 drugs mafia and financial transactions done.
A high-profile Akali leader, Majithia after coming out of the ED office addressed a jam-packed media and said, “I have said all along that one day truth will come out. I have come in the first instance, though I could have easily asked for a date. But, I did not.. and I came. I will be pro-actively taking part in the investigations to be carried by any agency or forum (sic).”
After making a brief media appearance, the Revenue Minister avoided any further hurriedly left with his cavalcade and avoided any further queries. Earlier, when Majithia reached the ED office in the morning, he was flooded with photojournalists to whom he retorted, “Swar ke photo khicho, te ruh naal layo” (Click best pictures and give them a good display).
Till the time ED investigations continued, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP-II) Harpreet Singh Mander along with five Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACPs) and jawans remained present on the ED premises.
It is pertinent to mention here BJP leadership in the state has sought the resignation of Majithia after he was summoned by the ED but Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal denied it. The CM had maintained mere summoning by ED was no ground to seek resignation of Majithia.
Notably, Punjab Police had unearthed the Rs 6000 crore drugs mafia with the arrest of former cop-turned-druglord Jagdish Bhola. It was in January this year that Bhola had named Majithia in the drugs case at a SAS Nagar court, leading to a political storm in the Punjab politics.
Bikram Majithia was the brother of Union Minister for Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal and brother-in-law of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was the son of CM Badal.
